Gary Engberg Outdoors

River Currents Badger Sportsman 10-22-08

gengberg October 24th, 2008

I’m writing this month’s column with a heavy heart. I just got word the other day that a great friend and my mentor, Tony Dean, had passed away from complications after an appendectomy operation. The 67-year old Dean was with family members at his home in his Pierre, South Dakota living room overlooking the Missouri River. His wife, Darlene DeChandt, said, “He could see the water, he could see the ducks. He knew he was sick, but he said, you know, I’m not afraid.”

Dean had his appendix removed in late September and was moved to a Sioux Falls hospital a week later to treat complications. He returned home last Thursday (October 16). His death was not a surprise.

Tony Dean was best known for his hunting and fishing television show, Tony Dean Outdoors and his daily radio show, Dakota Backroads. Tony had one of the most distinctive voices among outdoor communicators and his weekend broadcasts were looked forward to by a generation of hunters and anglers who had come to value his conservation philosophy and the outdoors that he brought to them.

Chris Wood, the chief operating officer for Trout Unlimited, said, “He taught so many of us to stand up and speak for fish and wildlife and the habitats that they depend on. He was a giant of conservation and an inspiration to everyone who cares about the outdoors.”

Dean had recently sold his television program to Jason Mitchell of Devils Lake, North Dakota and helped Jason by co-hosting “Jason Mitchell Outdoors”. Mitchell praised Dean for standing up against people and organizations that did not have conservation at heart.

Recently, Dean took on the NRA and just before he died he recorded commercials for Barack Obama. If Obama was to win the November election, Dean was going to be on his transition team. His wife, Darlene, said that Tony was thrilled. He felt that Obama was the one with enough insight and was young enough to appreciate land conservation. Dean also was planning on creating a conservation think tank that would focus on protecting the hunting and fishing values of his beloved prairie.

I was lucky enough to have met Tony over 20 years ago while I was fishing and guiding full-time. He encouraged me to start writing and gave me the “blueprint” for my radio shows, Outdoor Horizons and Gary Engberg Outdoors. Though, I didn’t get to see Tony regularly he was always there for questions and advice to a fledging outdoor communicator. I called and emailed him whenever I needed another opinion and his conservation values were always cherished. The outdoors has lost one of its great voices who will be difficult if not impossible to replace.

I feel lucky to have known Tony Dean and I’m sure that he is watching over us and hoping that the conservation ethic that he loved is being followed and taught to future generations. Tony Dean’s ashes will be spread over the prairies, rivers, and lakes of the Dakotas where he loved to hunt and fish.

Voting

I urge all sportsmen and women to vote this November. Voting is one of the greatest gifts that democracy gives its citizens. I’m not going to tell someone who to vote for in the coming election. But, do research on how both candidates stand on issues that are important to you and your family. My politics are a little right of center, but I always try to vote for who I consider to be the best candidate that supports my views. Important issues to me are; conservation, new and alternative energy sources (solar, wind, bio), the environment, Second Amendment rights, security, and of course the economy. There is no doubt that we have to develop and use new energy sources and get away from fossil fuels. Decide what issues are important to you and see how McCain and Obama stack up on these issues before you vote. If you fail to vote, then you don’t have any right to complain about what an elected official is doing!

We have to maintain the environment and keep working on developing cleaner fuels without any further pollution. I suggest voters also check on where the candidates stand on drilling for oil in ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) and off the country’s coasts. Another energy issue is clean coal and ethanol. I like to see farmers getting a good price for corn, but is ethanol the answer? The high price of corn is getting more and more farmers to opt out of the Conservation Reserve Program or CRP which has been a boom to ALL wildlife for over 20 years. CRP also has helped to clean the air, the water, and the soil over the years. This is one of the best government programs in history and was accomplished by a coalition of many diverse groups working together. The key is working together and that is rarely seen in the government these days.

Antlerless Deer Hunt

The state held a four-day antlerless gun deer season from October 16 to October 19. The hunt was for only antlerless deer in the 11 county South Central Region (SCR) of the state. A major change was made this year by combining the Disease Eradication Zone (DEZ) and the much larger Herd Reduction Zone (HRZ) into one CWD-MZ zone.

I registered deer during the four-day season at the Wilderness Fish and Game store in Sauk City, Wisconsin. There were many hunters out in the area with many hunters shooting a doe to get their buck tag and many out trying to harvest a deer for the venison to feed their families. The down economy has many people looking for ways to save some money and adding venison to the family foods can help. Venison has become a much wanted commodity at local food pantries as more and more people find that venison is low in fat and great for burgers, tacos, and much more.

I haven’t seen the DNR numbers for the hunt, but I’m sure that it was a success with helping to cull some deer out of the state’s massive deer herd while providing food for the needy. Continue Reading »